The South Korea National Anthem Lyrics Mean Something So Beautiful
The 2018 Winter Olympics are finally here, and that means the world can get beyond pumped about watching world-class athletes compete for the gold. Taking place in PyeongChang, South Korea, the 23rd Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony will take place Friday, Feb. 9 — even though the competition games will begin on Feb. 8 — and the games will take place all the way through Feb. 25. While we prepare to watch Olympians ski, skate and luge, many people might be wondering about South Korea's National Anthem and what the lyrics mean, since the song will be played during the Olympics Opening Ceremony on Friday, Feb. 9.
The South Korean National Anthem is actually incredibly beautiful. If you were curious, the lyrics go:
Until the day when the East Sea's waters and Mt. Baekdu are dry and worn away, God protect and preserve us.Long live our nation! Three thousand Li of splendid rivers and mountains, filled with Roses of Sharon; Great Korean People, stay true to the Great Korean way. The pine tree atop foremountain stands firmly unchanged under wind and frost as if wrapped in armour, as is our resilient spirit. Three thousand Li of splendid rivers and mountains, filled with Roses of Sharon; Great Korean People, stay true to the Great Korean way. Autumn sky is void and vast, high and cloudless, the bright moon is our heart, undivided and true. Three thousand Li of splendid rivers and mountains, filled with Roses of Sharon; Great Korean People, stay true to the Great Korean way. With this spirit and this mind, give all loyalty, in suffering or in joy, love the country. Three thousand Li of splendid rivers and mountains, filled with Roses of Sharon; Great Korean People, stay true to the Great Korean way.
I'm a sucker for emotional songs, so I'm not going to lie: I'm pretty excited to hear this song play during the Opening Ceremony.
Taking place at the Olympic Stadium in Pyeongchang, South Korea, the Opening Ceremony will most likely last around two hours, so grab some popcorn and get cozy on the couch.
According to The Telegraph, the Opening Ceremony will roughly follow a similar schedule as the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, which means that we'll witness the entry by the head of state, then the playing of the national anthem, and then the parade of participants, aka all of the amazing athletes who will be competing.
It was also recently announced that Insooni, a Korean R&B singer, will be performing the 2018 Winter Olympics Torch Song, titled "Let Everyone Shine."
Insooni sang the song back in 2017 at an event that celebrated the 200-days-to-go mark until the Winter Olympics, and, about the performance, PyeongChang 2018 Director General of Culture and Ceremonies Kim Dae-hyun said:
Insooni’s performance tonight of ‘Let Everyone Shine’ was a great way to launch the theme that will unite the nation and help share the Olympic spirit, as the Olympic flame makes its way across Korea from 1 November this year... She sang it with great passion and connected with the crowd celebrating the 200-days-to-go milestone of the Olympic Winter Games.
FAM. I. Am. So. Pumped.
You can watch all of the gloriousness of the Opening Ceremony on NBC, Friday, Feb. 9, at 8 p.m. EST or hop onto NBCOlympics.com (or the NBC Sports app) if that's more your thing.
No matter which way you choose to watch, all that matters is that you cheer on all of the competitors doing impossibly incredible feats during each Olympic event.
Because these people are basically magicians performing stunts that only one in a million people can accomplish. NBD.
Here's wishing luck to all of the Olympians!
Erin Jackson is an inline skating world medalist and roller derby MVP. She dreamed of skating in the Olympics, but to do that, she had to get on ice. She took her first steps on a long-track course in 2016 and started training professionally in September 2017. Four months later, she qualified for the Olympic Winter Games. Check out Elite Daily Insights' video on Jackson's incredible story:
